
Are you in the concerning situation where you’re being urged to pack up and rollout of your home because your landlord wants to sell, while you’re still in the middle of a tenancy agreement? Yup, unfortunately it happens.
Landlords selling tenanted properties is actually quite common, and the reality is that landlords are generally within their rights to do so – even in the middle of a tenancy. However, there are important details to understand, including your rights as a tenant (because you do have them, whether you realise it or not!).
Disclaimer: Tenant rights can differ depending on the country, and for the purposes of this post, I will focus on tenants in England.
Tenants’ Rights When a Landlord Is Selling
Following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May 2026, tenants in England were given additional security where a landlord decides to sell the property, although landlords remain within their rights to do so.
- Your tenancy is not automatically affected – you can remain in the property until the tenancy is legally terminated in one of the following ways:
- Mutual agreement – where the landlord and tenant agree to bring a tenancy to an end on a date earlier than originally required. In these cases, the tenancy is surrendered.
- Section 8 eviction – where the landlord serves an eviction notice citing ground 1A (sale of the dwelling-house), with a minimum notice period of four months
- Viewings and access rights – You are entitled to reasonable notice for viewings and can refuse access at times that are not convenient. The landlord and/or agent cannot force entry unless there is an emergency (for example, a fire). Refer to the blog post on Tenant’s Right to Live in Quiet Enjoyment for further details.
- Protected initial period – Tenants also benefit from a 12-month protected period at the start of a tenancy, during which landlords cannot seek possession solely for the purpose of selling the property.
Suspect Foul Play?
If you suspect that your landlord is not genuinely intending to sell the property, but is instead using it as a pretext to evict you for other reasons (for example, to avoid carrying out repairs or to increase the rent), safeguards have been introduced to help prevent this.
To reduce the risk of abuse of the selling grounds under Section 8, landlords are restricted from marketing or re-letting the property for 12 months after relying on grounds to selling the property.
Hope that helps!
Landlord out xo
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
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Hello , I moved to this house 10 month ago and my contract will end in a month can the owner make me get out of the house so he can show the house to people or do I have the right to stay in the house as long as I let them watch the house?